Prices are going up again! The cost of a first class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, according to the United States Postal Service’s website.
Last May, the price of a first class stamp went up two cents, as many of us can fondly remember scrambling for 2 cent stamps. What will be different about this year’s price increase is that there will not be as much of a scramble for supplementary one cent stamps, since we can all continue to use 41 cent Forever Stamps purchased prior to May 12, even after the price change.
According to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the USPS will adjust their mailing services prices each May. By law, these prices can increase on average no more than the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
Additional increases to begin on May 12, 2008 include;
* Large envelope, 2 ounces: $1 (up 3 cents)
* Certified mail: $2.70 (up 5 cents)
* First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico: 72 cents (up 3 cents)
* First-class international letter to other countries: 94 cents (up 4 cents)
How will this effect today’s technology focused society?
Do you still send out birthday cards or are they e-cards? An e-card can definitely save you when it is too late to mail a birthday card on-time but I don’t think that it has the same personal effect as a traditional card. Maybe instead of buying stamps at the post office we should begin to order stamps online in smaller quantities so we don’t get caught up in the price increases.
Additionally, the USPS does have a very cool feature for customizing stamps with photos, which brings an element of convenience to our very hectic lives, plus it’s another opportunity to show off our kids, pets, loyalty to our favorite sports team or the company logo.